Get Wiser

The Leaf – Issue 16 – Autumn/Winter Sustainability Updates & Green Engineering Skills

‘Tis the Season to Be Wiser

As we trudge determinedly into colder months, homes and businesses everywhere are back in the annual swing of energy efficiency, with more than just their pockets in mind. Every year wasted energy costs us and our environment, and as a planet we’re set to miss a key IPCC target of preventing global warming from exceeding 1.5°C over these next few years, but it’s not too late to minimise the damage this would cause.

UK Workforces are assembling teams of carbon-reducing, plastic-eliminating, biodiversity-boosting, energy-saving, sustainability superheroes, to reduce their carbon footprints and support the UK’s net zero goals. Our own UK and Ireland team continues to flourish, and we’re pleased to introduce a new member and to show you how we’re fostering future skills in greener engineering and business.

 

Introducing Our New Sustainability Data Manager!

We’re pleased to announce that Luca Bissolotti has recently joined the Schneider Electric sustainability taskforce as UK&I Sustainability Data Manager.

Luca has a wealth of experience in data analysis, improving on-site biodiversity and recycling rates, and reducing energy consumption, invaluable skills set to accelerate our journey to net zero.

Luca, why is sustainability important to you?

“As someone who’s passionate about travel and hiking, I believe that sustainability improves the quality of our lives while also allowing us to enjoy and preserve the beauty of our natural resources and global environment.”

 

Role

UK&I Sustainability Data Manager

  • Streamline our data collection related to sustainability
  • Comprehensively track our energy use, water use, waste consumption and production
  • Support our blooming Biodiversity Programme
  • Help us continue to banish operational single use plastic (SUP)

Likes

Travelling, hiking and keeping fit.

 

 

Women in Industry Day – 16th November 2023

There’s only one way to ensure that sustainability teams of the future will have the talent they need to thrive, and that’s to nurture future generations and normalise these positions being open to all.

We recently hosted our annual Women in Industry Day here in Plymouth, where our own STEM ambassador team invites local school groups of girls to visit our site and see behind the scenes in our factory tour, learn from our women in industry about their various roles, and take part in an always-popular product design activity to exercise their creativity, teamwork, and presenting skills.

This year we were also joined by representative of The Engineering Development Trust (EDT) and their Industrial Cadets program, and we worked closely with them to create this day of activities and knowledge sharing to connect these young people to industry.

Our feedback from pupils and their teachers continues to be very positive and we’re proud to have once again given local students this opportunity to find out more about the wide variety within STEM careers, even though some had never considered it an option before. We look forward to seeing one or two of them for work experience at our site soon!

Read more about Drayton's Women in Industry Day 2023

STEM Career Opportunities in Plymouth

Want to find out more about our STEM events and activities? Contact our STEM ambassador team at steve.davey@se.com

 

 

Our Plymouth Biodiversity Garden – An Autumn/Winter Update

New team member Luca’s involvement in supporting on-site biodiversity actions leads us neatly on to updates on our recently completed garden, that aims to support local biodiversity as well as giving our staff a space to break away and enjoy some wellbeing time amongst nature.

We’re pleased to announce a few new additions to the garden including bird boxes, bug hotels, more wildflowers and a log pile to provide a habitat for a range of species. Bat boxes have also been ordered to support local populations of these unique and important animals.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What’s Next?

We have a variety of ongoing sustainability projects to move us toward net zero and safeguard our environment:

  • Having completed our single use plastic reduction project, supplier plastic becomes our next focus.
  • Installation of bat boxes in our Plymouth biodiversity garden.
  • And more to announce soon…